Approaching
Chinese, approaching the Dao

a
look at the first chapter

Here offered is the briefest
introduction to the Dao, a short presentation of its first chapter.The text is given in Chinese with English
translations of the characters alongside.There follows a more or less literal translation and commentary on the
text and its translation.

The purpose of this
presentation is two-fold : to show those who are curious about the Dao just
what characters and specific terms gave rise to the numerous translations, be
they maddeningly and opaquely stark or delightfully flowery; to show a famous
but famously obscure text to those with an interest in Chinese writing.

This is the effort of a
decidely amateur Sinologist.It shows
what happens when someone with a dictionary and patience tries to take a road,
a dao in fact, that has proved
treacherously fascinating to far wiser and more capable scholars.Understanding is asked.As are the suggestions of people who have light
to shed on this effort and suggestions for its improvement.

The text is of my own
devising, pieced together from the two Mang-wa-tui texts used by Robert
Hendricks in his <i>Te-Tao Ching : A New Translation Based on the
Recently Discovered Ma-wang-tui Texts</i> and the texts used by John C.
Wu and Red Pine in their translations from more traditional sources.The text has been created with a view to
accessibility for English-speaking readers – starting with the author – and is not scholarly by its very nature.This presentation is not for scholars
specializing in Eastern religious texts; it is for the educated generalist who
is curious.

With all cautions given, here
is my text:

道

the way
(dao) 1

名

name 5

皦

glitter 19

可

can 2

萬

10,000 7

兩

two 20

道

speak 1

物

thing 8

者

of them 21

非

not 3

之

’s 9

同

same 22

恒

constant 4

母

mother 12

出

source,
spring 23

道

way 1

恒

constant 4

異

different
24

名

name 5

無

without 6

名

name 5

可

can 2

欲

desire 13

同

same 22

名

name 5

以

so 14

謂

called 25

非

not 3

觀

see 15

玄

profound
26

恒

constant 4

其

it/its 16

玄

profound
26

名

name 5

妙

essence 17

又

and more
27

無

without 6

恒

constant 4

玄

profound
26

名

name 5

有

have 11

衆

many 27

萬

10,000 7

欲

desire 13

妙

essence 17

物

thing 8

以

so 14

之

’s 9

之

’s 9

觀

see 15

門

door 28

始

beginning
10

其

it/its 16

有

have 11

所

which 18

Here is a skeleton translation
from the keywords alongside a (slightly) more polished translation:

The way can be spoken

Not the constant way

The name can be named

Not the constant name

Without a name is the
10,000 things’ beginning

With a name is the 10,000 things’
mother

Ever without desire, so one
sees its essence

Ever having desire, so one
sees it which glitters

The two, of the same
source,

With different names,

Are both called profound

Profound beyond profound

The many essences’ door

The way that can be spoken

Is not the enduring way.

The name that can be named

Is not the enduring name.

Nameless is the origin of
the 10,000 things.

Named is the 10,000 things’
mother.

Free of desire, see its
essence.

Having desire, see that
which glitters only.

Two things, same source,

Different names,

Are both called profound.

Profound beyond profound

The door to the many
essences.

Cursory analysis:The most obvious feature of this text – and
much of the Dao (The Way) – is its use of opposition.The contradictory nature of the passage
illustrates the Way’s mystical quality and the quandary which plagues every
devout Daoist : How does one stick to a tradition that demands we eschew
everything without eschewing the Dao itself?In a sense, if one seeks to become a master Daoist failure is
certain.The Dao tells us to cease
striving and simply do what needs doing because it needs to be done.This is at the heart of the message that the
enduring way cannot be spoken, the enduring name cannot be named.The way cannot be captured : it must be
lived.As to the question of named or
nameless, multiple interpretations are possible.Some translations make it about the 10,000
things’ mother having a name, but not their beginning.Some make the named Dao the 10,000 things’
mother and the unnamed Dao as their beginning.Both are preposterous, of course, but one of the beauties of languages
is they allow us to abuse grammar to say perfectly ridiculous things.Since brighter minds than mine have flubbed
this question, I’ll have a go, satisfied that my own ridiculousness will find
itself in respectable company : It seems to me that this is simply a replay of
the first two oppositions.The origin of
the world that can be named is not the immutable origin of the world.We can assert that something brought the world about, and even give it a name, like
“mother.”This does not mean we’ve found
the origin of the universe, any more than naming the neighbor’s Mercedes will
put it within our grasp.Speaking of the
neighbor’s Mercedes, the Dao warns us not to take too strong an interest.This part was awful to translate, but
finished seems the most obvious point of all : taken with desire, we’re not
going to be sticking to the Way because other thoughts will interfere, like whether
we’ll get to take a Mercedes like the neighbor’s for a spin along the Way.The Way doesn’t glitter, doesn’t shine; it
just is.It’s a matter of doing what
needs to be done, which may be lucrative but very well may not.Indeed, this Way would hardly seem worth
bothering with, except that it offers a shot at something profoundly marvelous
– though don’t strive to get it or you’ll overdo, much like the person who gets
a headache from closing his eyes too tightly in an effort to be the most
focused meditator in the Yoga seminar.That something is the peace of mind that comes from being on the right
path.